The following information is provided to assist the reader in understanding technologies disclosed below and the environment in which such technologies may typically be used. The terms used herein are not intended to be limited to any particular narrow interpretation unless clearly stated otherwise in this document. References set forth herein may facilitate understanding of the technologies or the background thereof. The disclosure of all references cited herein are incorporated by reference.
A winch is a mechanical device used to pull in, let out, or otherwise adjust the tension of a rope or wire cable. A winch may, for example, include a drum, spool or barrel a about which the rope or wire cable is windable. The winch may further include manually operated crank or a powered device in operative connection with the drum to control winding of the rope or wire cable therearound.
In a typical winch, an electric motor may provide power to a reduction gear mechanism, which turns the winch drum and winds a wire rope. A brake automatically engages the winch drum when the winch motor is stopped and there is load on the wire rope. A clutch allows the winch drum to be disengaged from the drive train to enable the drum to rotate freely. Electrical controls, which may include a remote control, are provided to allows a user to operate the winch
Winches may, for example, be mounted to the front or rear of vehicles. Very often, winches are mounted to the front of vehicles to, for example, to pull a vehicle out of a stuck position or over rough terrain. A winch may also be used to move or apply force to objects. Trucks, All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), Utility Task Vehicles (UTVs) and similar vehicles are often provided with a front mounted winch (that is, a winch mounted to the front of a vehicle).